Erdogan’s threats follow Syria ignoring normalization – Syrian politician
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A Syrian political analyst said on Tuesday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s threats to launch new military operations in Syria came after the Syrian government ignored his calls for normalization.
Opposition politician Issam Zaitoun added that Erdoğan’s statements about a potential military operation in Syria are largely intended as signals to various audiences, particularly in response to Syria’s ongoing indifference toward normalizing Turkish-Syrian relations.
Erdoğan had warned of potential new operations in Syria, stating that Turkey aims to complete “the remaining segments of a secure zone along its Syrian border.”
Efforts to normalize relations between Syria and Turkey over the past two years have stalled, primarily due to conflicting demands from both governments.
Zaitoun told North Press that Erdoğan appears to be trying to leverage the current “lame duck” period in the White House, with the current U.S. president’s powers limited until the newly elected president assumes office.
Zaitoun also downplayed the likelihood of imminent Turkish operations, explaining that “Turkey’s concept of a safe zone essentially means an area devoid of any Kurdish political presence.”